


Women run this show, Thanks.

by Heart_Stop



Series: My Haikyuu AU series [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Female Akaashi Keiji, Female Hinata Shouyou, Female Iwaizumi Hajime, Female Kozume Kenma, Female Sakusa Kiyoomi, How Do I Tag, M/M, Marriage, female suna rintarou, semi canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:27:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28085448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heart_Stop/pseuds/Heart_Stop
Summary: This au is kinda just a fuck you to the patriarchy and sexism and some romance for self-indulgence. :DThis will a series based on Hinata’s intense passion for volleyball and with her a few other female players who want change in japan’s sports, all while giving a big middle finger to the patriarchy.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, all ships except kagehina are minor, or background - Relationship
Series: My Haikyuu AU series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116686
Comments: 12
Kudos: 120





	1. The start of a 14 year-long journey

**Author's Note:**

> This will a series based on Hinata’s intense passion for volleyball and with her a few other female players who want change in japan’s sports, all while giving a big “FUCK YOU” to the patriarchy. There will be romance, but that will be when their goal has been reached and they are adults.  
> THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO THE ORIGINAL CANON STORY, TO THE GENDER RULES IN JAPAN, AND TO THE EVENTS OF THE WORLD, BUT IT IS TO MAKE THE STORY MAKE SOME FORM OF SENSE.
> 
> THIS FANFIC WAS VERYVERYVERY HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE FIC “THE FUTURE IS FEMALE” PLEASE READ IT, IT WAS SO GOOD.

Looks(at the beginning of the story)

[ Kenma ](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/453526624969758212/)\- same just with longer hair

Hinata- honesty looks exactly the same since she was trying to pass a boy

[ Iwaizumi](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/638033472185875537/) \- looks the same TBH 

[ Suna](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/722968546428756851/) \- same as Kenma

[Sakusa](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/722968546431099159/) \- is the same

[ Akaashi](https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/722968546429664942/) \- just longer hair lol

**The start of a 14 year-long journey**

_“Girls volleyball is no fun to watch,”_

_“They can’t last as long as the boys do”_

_“Well, they aren’t bad, they just aren’t as good”_

Hinata glared at the bathroom mirror as she remembered the remarks made after she finished volleyball practice. She swore she would change their minds one way or another. She left that practice last.

That was her last practice...

After that very practice, the school announced the disbandment of the girl’s volleyball club. She spent hours wondering _“why”_ until she asked herself _how am I going to play?_

After pondering for only a few minutes she came to a solution. 

“S-Shouyou-chan. What are you doing?!”

Two of her past volleyball members, Akito and Yuri, looked at her with shock on their faces, when the petite carrot top began cutting haphazardly over her hair. As thick curly orange locks fell from the cutting, Hinata hissed in the mirror,

“They disbanded the girl’s volleyball club,” she said simply, glaring at the bathroom mirror. 

The end product of her butchering haircut was a messy short mass of curls spiking up at random places. In normal feminine circumstances, it would have looked bad but in this instance it was perfect. 

Once she was happy with her masculine end-product, Hinata turned to her two friends.

“What do you think?” she asked spinning in her green boy’s volleyball uniform. 

Admittedly her friends thought she made a very convincing boy. Sure, her voice was a little high and her features were a bit delicate, but she looked passable. It also helped that Hinata was never girly, to begin with, she was not well endowed and had a brash and loud attitude.

“Why are you doing this,” Akito hurriedly asked.

“So I can play volleyball, it is my dream,” Hinata answered like it was the most obvious choice in the world. 

“So you going to pretend to be a boy, just to be able to practice volleyball?!” Yuri incredulously asked. 

Hinata gave a steady and strong nod.

“You are insane Shouyou,” Akito groaned to the side.

“Are you sure this is smart Shouyou?” Yuri asked worriedly rubbing her hands together.

Hinata gave them a feral grin, “I am more than sure. Just watch, I’m going to fly!”

A talk with Yuri’s brother, a long effort to make the boy’s team swear to secrecy, and she off. A member of the boy’s volleyball club, and right before they had a middle school competition.

When she walked onto the court and faced the Kitagawa team, she had only accepted to stay on that court for the duration of the game.

However…

_“What have you been doing for the last three years?!”_

A jaw performance and a certain annoying setter later, she was on her way to Karasuno.


	2. Karasuno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, here is chapter 2  
> Hinata makes a very close friend, so close she gets to see her naked...

**Karasuno**

Maybe Hinata didn’t think of the repercussions of cross-dressing as a boy,

The locker room...

Hinata was currently changing in the boy’s locker room stall cursing her short-sightedness. She knew she couldn’t keep gathering her things and rush to a bathroom stall without someone getting suspicious. It also didn’t help that she just barely stopping her face from exploding in red when she saw her teammates shirtless, or worse, nude.

_“What do I do?”_ she panicked while biting her thumbnail. 

After 3 more practices, she finally made a relatively not-terrible plan: She would sneak out of the boy’s locker room, into the **girl’s** locker room, and be out at around the same time as everyone else when they left. 

Hinata eventually stopped sneaking out in favor of staying late to practice more or clean the gym, allowing her plenty of time to relax and lounge in the girl’s locker room. 

Now the boy’s locker room was decent but the girl’s club room was just **better** _._ It smelled of freshly washed towels and lavender. It also had an ample amount of essential _feminine_ products since she could no longer keep them on her. 

When Hinata was alone in the locker room she was finally able to give herself a much deserved warm shower and relaxation time on the nice cushy chairs. The whole time she spent in the locker room she was a bit too confidant that she alone so it wasn’t a huge surprise when she got caught. 

Hinata was done with her shower, wrapped a towel, and reading a woman’s sport’s magazine. In her own little world thinking about the team’s up and coming practice match with Aoba Johsai. 

Until…

*GASP*

Hinata heard a rather loud gasp and whipped around to see their very own team manager, Shimizu Kiyoko. 

The third-year gaped at the towel-wrapped carrot top, her expression changing from shock to realization to fury. 

“ _Oh, cra-”_ Hinata panicked.

“W-wait!! Kiyoko-san this isn’t what you think, I’M A GIRL!!”

Hinata dropped the towel around her, showing her, nude, female form. Kiyoko stared and blinked before quickly turned around and cleared her throat. 

“Ok ok, you can cover yourself again,”

Hinata exhaled with relief before nervously muttering,

“Kiyoko senpai, please don’t tell anyone about this,”

Kiyoko looked at the small ginger and only then began to see the softness and delicacy and the player’s features. Kiyoko swallowed,

“Hinata… can you tell me why you are doing this,”

Having kept all of … well everything… a secret, she held no detail back and told the manager everything. 

After hearing the life story of her underclassmen, Kiyoko was beyond moved, she was almost proud just to **know** a girl was going against the way the world has been pushing her. The older girl put her hands on Hinata’s shoulders and whispered,

“Your secret is safe with me,”

Hinata stood frozen as the manager gave her a hug. Her hands hoovered before tightly accepting the hug. The feeling of relief to be able to tell someone was like a weight was removed from her chest. _"Girls are the best,"_

When they stepped out of the hug Kiyoko gave the girl a head pat and smiled while saying,

“You were too pretty to be a boy anyway,”


	3. The practice match- Aoba Johsai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is a practice match with Aoba Johsai, told from the perspective of a certain girl, and the entrance of a certain brown-haired setter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Iwaoi for this fic!!
> 
> Although I think I failed. (cri)

**The practice match**

The practice match was starting the third set, Iwaizumi watched from the railings as she saw the short ginger head perform quick attack after quick attack with Kageyama’s sets.

_“Well, at least he learned to not be an arrogant prick,”_ Iwaizumi commented, happy that her kouhai has learned in his time with Karasuno.

It was true the raven-haired setter was actually working quite well with the shorter player. When the score became 3 v. 2, she raised her eyebrows,

“Wow, Karasuno might actually win this practice match...” 

Iwaizumi let out a sigh, she knew the main reason why Karasuno was winning, but she didn’t voice it. She turned around and leaned her back against the railing, she was expecting only a few more grueling minutes of this mockery.

Until the gym door swung open,

“Hey welcome back Oikawa,”

Iwaizumi’s eyes snapped open, and she turned around,

_“He’s- He’s back!?”_

Oikawa gave the coach a grin,

“Never been better, glad I could come back to practice now, it was only a minor sprain,”

The coach lectured Oikawa about being more careful and how Karasuno brought Kageyama as per request. Oikawa apologized while smiling, 

“I’m sorry coach,”

“Ahh, Oikawa!”

“Don’t hurt yourself Oikawa,”

Iwaizumi felt her eye twitch, she inwardly hissed

_“Squealing pigs,”_

Oikawa then turned to the stands and waved causing the girls to swoon and scream. He continued to smile until his eyes caught sight of a certain short-haired manager. He broke into a slight smirk,

_“Well, it looks like our dear manager has come to watch,”_

Oikawa walked away to go stretch as Karasuno kept staying in the lead, but Iwaizumi knew that as soon as he was on the court the game would change.

The score was 14 v. 15.

“Come on when are they going to let Oikawa play?”

“No, he can’t go on yet. If he doesn’t warm up, he might injure his perfect body again,”

Iwaizumi rolled her eyes in annoyance, he got himself injured by being stupid and careless, that was his fault.

Finally when the score was at 21 v. 24 and Oikawa was finally up on the court.

_“It’s all over now,”_

For his first serve, he sent it to Karasuno’s number 6 who sent it flying into the bleachers, when it was about to hit the railing Iwaizumi caught it. 

“Oh! Thanks for catching it Iwa-chan~,”

She stiffened at the team captain and tossed the ball back to the court. 

“ _This guy,”_

The game proceeded as Iwaizumi expected, with only Oikawa’s serves they changed the score to 23 v. 24, but then that carrot top struck again. In a flash, the ball was hit and sent right past Oikawa’s face. Iwaizumi was dumbfounded,

_“Someone actually managed to hit the ball back… from one of Oikawa’s serves?”_

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later after the match, when the team was cleaning the gym, they were finally able to talk.

“Kageyama is getting quite good huh?”

“Yep, he’s a prodigy who’s finally found an outlet for his abilities, the average players are no match for him now,”

“Wait, are you saying that you're not a match for him either?”

“Not for his sets, when it comes to that no one in the prefecture can outdo him, I am every bit as skilled as he is when it comes to things like spikes, blocks, and serves though,”

Iwaizumi throws a ball at him, Oikawa yelps as it connects hard with the back of his head.

“Don’t say things like that! You know damn well that your sets are just as good as his are, that is why you are the team’s setter! ”

Oikawa rubs the back of his head while pouting,

“I’m sorry, but it is the truth ok?” He then proceeded to have a mini evil rant as he planned how to take down Karasuno at the inter-high tournament. He then stopped midway to look at her,

“Although honestly, I wish it was you who was my ace,”

Iwaizumi looked back at him with a sad smile,

“Yeah me too, after middle school I joined the girl’s team but… it wasn’t the same as sharing the court with you or hitting your sets,”

Oikawa glanced sadly at her then pursed his lips. Iwaizumi let out a heavy sigh,

“But hey that’s just how it is, we are the last few prefectures that won't allow **it** , although it is frustrating to know I can’t ever play on equal terms with you officially,”

An image of the short carrot top flashed in her mind,

“Hey, Oikawa, what did you think of the chibi on Karasuno’s team?”

“I was kinda impressed actually, I would say he compliments Kageyama quite well, why?”

“No reason,”

Iwaizumi bit the inside of her cheek,

_Something was off about him..._


	4. Training Camp: Nekoma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The training camp and the match with Nekoma. Oh! and with our orange baby crow meets a little cat.  
> 😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are!!!! In Chapter 4, Hinata Finally gets to meet Kenma. 😄😄😄
> 
> Sorry for the wait for everyone that cares, I didn't write down my timeline for this fic so I had writer's block for a long time. 
> 
> Anyways please enjoy this Chapter!!💖💖💖

**Training Camp: Nekoma**

The training camp was brutal, and it was much harder to hide Hinata’s secret. If it wasn’t for Kiyoko covering for her she would have been found out much too quickly. 

But nonetheless, she was still as competitive as ever against Kageyama. In one instance, however, while running faster to try to outpace Kageyama and got lost, she ran into a boy from another school. 

While talking to the boy she found out his name was Kenma, he was a second year, and he was a setter for his school’s volleyball team. Throughout their conversation, Hinata couldn’t help but notice just how strange Kenma looked, with his very long hair held back with an alligator clip, rather soft features, and slender build. It made Hinata(very shallowly) feel a bit better with how feminine she looked. 

Before Hinata could ask what school Kenma went to, a tall boy called out to Kenma. He looked up,

“Oh Kuroo,” Kenma got up and walked towards the taller boy. “Gotta go,”

Kenma reached Kuroo, turned and waved to Hinata,

“Later, Ok?”

Kenma and Kuroo turned and left Hinata wondering,  
  


_“Later?”_

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Nekoma sleeping quarters

Yamamoto was bitching about whether Karasuno had a sexy manager or not. Kuroo was getting irritated and Kenma was playing on his phone (as per usual).

When Yamamoto asked Kenma his thoughts on a female manager. Kenma raised one of his eyebrows. Kuroo looked at Yamamoto unimpressed.

“You know you shouldn’t ask that to Kenma of all people,”

Kenma sighed and glanced at Kuroo, “It’s fine Kuroo, but Yamamoto I don’t think something like that would even matter.”

Yamamoto pouted, “Hmpf, I knew you would say that,”

“But,” Kenma started, “I am kinda looking forward to going against them, just a little bit,”

With that comment everyone looked at Kenma shocked, Yamamoto jumped back,

“When are you looking forward to anything!?”

Kuroo was pleasantly surprised with his friend’s interest in their upcoming game, maybe this game might be a little bit different. 

_~~~~~Timeskip~~~~~_

4 days later when Karasuno had their match with Nekoma, Hinata was surprised when she saw Kenma with the Nekoma team. Hinata called out,

“Kenma you're the setter for Nekoma!? Why didn’t you say so?”

Kenma shrugged and responded, “Well… You didn’t ask,” 

Handshakes, snarky comments, and another Kiyoko simp, and the match with Nekoma began.

_\-------Another time skip---------_

The match was definitely a tiring one but it ended with Nekoma winning 2 to 0.

Hinata, however, was so fired up she asked for rematch after rematch until coach Ukai had to physically pull her back. She was about to voice her opposition while cleaning the gym, but then…

_-SNAP-_

The color drained from Hinata’s face, 

_“Oh no… my bandages!”_

Hinata looked around for Kiyoko but unfortunately for Hinata, the manager already went home. 

Panicking, she ignored the looks from the Nekoma team and the comments from her own team and ran to the clinic to hopefully find more medical bandages. 

When she arrived at the clinic, she peeled off her sweaty uniform to get to her torn-up chest bandages. She started to search the drawers for new bandages, thankfully there were plenty in the third drawer. Hinata exhaled as she removed her old bandages and began to wrap new ones around her chest. 

_“Dammit, this was waaay too close, I’m lucky that it was at the end of the match,”_

Hinata was almost done binding her chest but then disaster struck again,

*Ahem* “excuse me,”

Like a repeat of the past, Hinata turned her head to see… Kenma. Hinata again tried to find a reason to explain the scene in front of the other boy.

Hinata stopped as she realized that Kenma wasn’t even fazed by the scene in front of him. He just walked into the clinic while looking at Hinata. The carrot top was just sitting there covering her semi bound chest staring back at Kenma until she realized that he was walking **really** close to her.

“H-hey! What are you-,”

Kenma leaned forward to Hinata and unclipped his hair and said, 

“It is not good to bind with bandages,” he then turned and reached into the fifth drawer behind him and pulled out a binder, he then handed it to Hinata.

“What color do you need, I think it would be smarter for you to wear a nude binder although black wouldn’t be totally out of the question.”

Hinata was dumbfounded, she looked up at Kenma and stupidly asked,

“Why are you- **How did you find out!?** "

Kenma raised his eyebrows and lifted up his shirt,

Hinata raised her hands and was about to protest something along the lines of pervert, but then realized that he was wearing a… sports bra?

Hinata looked at Kenma’s face and realized just how soft the player's features were, along with their body shape and the very un-masculine length of their hair. Hinata swallowed and finally asked,

“Kenma… are you a **girl**?”


	5. Nekoma’s Female Setter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata gets to know the rules and regulations of gendered sports in Japan, and Kenma is her guidebook. Hinata also gets a proper binder because you should never bind with ace bandages. NEVER.😱

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait, I was in deep writer's block and I had to map out just how I was going to continue this fic. But here it is, CHAPTER 5!!! Now I just get on to writing chapter 6 😭. I'm also trying out a new writing style so please bear with me.

**Nekoma’s Female Setter**

“Kenma… are you a girl?”

Kenma kept eye contact with Hinata before raising an eyebrow,

“Yes, but I wasn’t even trying to hide it,”

Hinata was startled at the nonchalance of the other girl’s statement, she was openly a girl on the Nekoma BOYS team? **HOW?**

Kenma decided that standing was too tiring and sat down next to Hinata, who was short-circuiting, and said another revelation that sent Hinata to the bottom of her rather empty brain. 

“Yeah, I’m the official setter for the Nekoma team and I am a girl, is that so surprising?”

Hinata’s eyes grew wide at that comment, no one in their right mind wouldn’t wonder why a girl was a regular player on a boys volleyball team.

“S-so Surprising!? UHM YEAH? You’re a girl on a boy's volleyball team?!”

It was Kenma’s turn to look at Hinata with confusion, she tilts her head while she questions Hinata,

“Who said that Nekoma was a boys team,”

Silence hung in the air.

“It-Is it not?” Hinata dumbly asked, _“I mean, anyone who didn’t ask or notice probably would have guessed the same, right?”_

Kenma looked at Hinata with an are-you-kidding-with-me look, 

“Nekoma is Co-ed,” Kenma stated that as if that fact wasn’t ludicrous to anyone who had a normal thought process.

“How is Nekoma Co-ed?” This was the first time Hinata had ever heard about Co-ed teams in high school. In middle school, maybe, but in High school? Never.

“Have you never heard of it?” Kenma furrows her eyebrows, she knew that Miyagi was a more country-side rural area but really? Was it all of Karasuno or was this girl just...dumb. Kenma released a sigh,

“Japan has, as recently as 8 years ago, allowed female and male participating sports teams,”

Hinata’s eyes widened, this was the first time she has even heard about such a thing. Did… did Karasuno allow this? Kenma glanced back at the other girl and proceeded to dash her dreams.

“A lot of controversies came from that decision and finally Japan decided on a solution: The prefectures would individually decide whether or not they would allow co-ed. Over the years more and more prefectures have allowed varying degrees of co-ed.”

Oh. Hinata slumped her shoulders and mumbled, “I’m guessing that Miyagi hasn’t exactly allowed co-ed,”

Kenma nodded, “Prefectures allow co-ed in different ways, such as, being unofficial players, being benchwarmers, only being able to join with acceptance from the coach and/or players, or in my case, complete co-ed,” Hinata widened her eyes for the fifth time today, while Kenma continued to explain “The only prefecture that has allowed complete co-ed would be Tokyo, with absolutely no difference between girls and boys and no restrictions or requirements on who can join”

Hinata gasped, that sounded like heaven to her: complete co-ed without discrimination between genders. Hinata realized something and asked Kenma, (who became the poor girl’s guide book now)

“Is a female allowed into the professional V league as per co-ed?”

Kenma looked at the ceiling thoughtfully before answering, “If I remember correctly if an outstanding player from a team has the qualifications then it shouldn’t matter whether that person is a female or male, so I suppose it is a possibility but I don’t think it has actually been done.” Remembering something Kenma added, “However for the Olympics, co-ed hasn’t touched it at all, so it is still men’s team and women’s team,”

When Kenma was finished with her _info-dump-on-gender-laws-in-japan_ she turned to Hinata and glazed at her still semi-bound chest, 

“Are going to wear the binder or continue holding your poorly bound chest,” the way she said it was more of a rhetorical question since the way she said it had no room for argument or questioning.

Hinata pursed her lips and took the binder still laying beside her and proceeded to put it on, realizing she didn’t even know how to, she asked Kenma to help her. Kenma sighed at the helpless girl and helped her put it on, she also gave the other girl the instructions of how to put it on by herself. 

Once Hinata was done with her binder, the two girls walked out of the clinic to the other two teams. While they were walking, Hinata asked Kenma, “How did you notice?”

Kenma just shrugged and responded, “I’m much more aware than most other people and because I’m a girl, I mean come on, boys can overlook so much when they don’t pay attention,”

Hinata giggled at the fairly rude comment the pudding head made before asking another question,

“You aren’t going to ask why I’m doing this?”

Kenma stopped walking and turned to face Hinata, “As a girl, as a volleyball player, and as of knowing more about you I can understand the reason you are doing this,”

Hinata stared at Kenma and asked, “So why do you think I’m going this?”

The girl responds, “You just want to play volleyball without being judged for who you are,” The answer rocks Hinata down to her very core, before she had always used middle school or some long dragged out backstory as her reason to explain why she was doing this, but Kenma summed up her entire journey till this point without even hearing her story. 

_“Girls really are the best huh?”_ Hinata smiled and motioned for Kenma to continue walking and the other girl followed as such. As they reached the exit of the building with their respective teams outside. When the two arrived outside Nekoma and Karasuno were saying their final goodbyes and vows to beat the other. 

Kenma walked to her team and waved a final goodbye to Hinata, “Goodbye, see you eventually Shouyou,” 

Hinata looked at Kenma with a fond look and replied, “You bet Kenma,”

While walking away from the other team to get to the train, Kuroo looked at Kenma and glanced back to look at the short gingerhead, “Just what did you and Chibi-chan talk about to put you in a good mood?”

Kenma stiffened and mumbled to the taller boy, “I’m not in a good mood, I don’t know what you are talking about,”

“Yeah, Yeah,” Kuroo rolled his eyes while laughing at his friend mumbling into her red track jacket. “Whatever you say kitten,” Kenma flushed at the silly nickname Kuroo gave her. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Hinata got home from practice Kenma’s words still rang in her ears, _“You just want to play volleyball without being judged for who you are,”._ It was the truth, that was the reason, but for more than just her but for other girls who could be playing at their 100% in the many different prefectures.

Before Hinata fell asleep she was sure that she was going to have to step up her game during training for the inter-high preliminaries, since she knew in her mind that she couldn’t use Kageyama as a stepping stool forever.


	6. Bitter Defeat: Interhigh preliminaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata gets another (not-so) encouraging gal pal, Iwaizumi criticizes Hinata's performance, and Hinata gets a new practice goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the readers, thank you so much for waiting 😭!! I just didn't have a lot of motivation since school and sleep deprivation was just kicking my ass.

**Bitter Defeat: Interhigh preliminaries**

Hinata remembered opening her eyes as the ball flew past her and the empty sound of the ball hitting the ground as Nishinoya and Daichi tried to dive to receive it. Just like that, they lost the match to Aoba Johsai; all their practice was sent right back into their court.

Hinata remembered when she and all of her other teammates crumpled to the floor in exhaustion and disappointment. Kageyama looked like he was still in disbelief at the block that sent their quick attack right back in their face. Hinata just silently faced the floor consoling her other teammates. 

The short hours that followed their defeat were filled with a heavy silence. At the end of the day, before they were going to leave the stadium and head home, they watched Aoba Johsai’s last game of the day, which they won. Karasuno was taking down their banner, but Hinata needed some fresh air so she walked into an empty corridor, and there she came face to face with a girl wearing the Aoba Johsai athletic uniform. Hinata froze as she felt the short-haired brunette analyze and stare at her form. Hinata stared at the floor and hoped that the other girl would just leave, but that wasn’t the case.

“You really had everyone fooled didn’t you?”

Hinata snapped her head up to face the girl with wide eyes. There was only one thing the female in front of her could be talking about, and she was hopelessly pleading that that wasn’t the case. 

“Wh-what are you talking-,” 

“You're a girl,” The other girl stated with such confidence Hinata knew she couldn’t lie her way out of this one. 

“... How are you playing on the team?” Hinata should have expected this question, it made sense, but what didn’t make sense was the girl's reaction to the whole situation. Her face held no emotion whatsoever. 

Hinata steeled her voice, “I covered up all my past information that indicated I was a girl, I even applied to the school on my own without my mom’s knowledge so could enter as a boy,”

That was the truth, she went behind her mom's back and registered as a boy so that she could receive a male uniform and, of course, play as a boy for Karasuno.

The brunette nodded and took a deep breath and asked, 

“And what is your reason?”

Hinata held herself calm under the stare of the rather intimidating girl and repeated what Kenma had so confidently told her.

“I just want to play volleyball without being judged for who I am,”

_“You just want to play volleyball without being judged for who you are,”_

Hinata went silent before boldly adding, “And to prove that girls can run with the boys no matter what,” 

For a split second, Hinata swore she thought she saw the girl’s eyes widen as they brightened with a spark of _something_.

The girl finally answered, “I respect your devotion and your will, I also like what you aim for,” she flashed a smile grin, “kicking the patriarchy’s ass, and you have the ability to do it too,”

The girl fixed her stare in an instant, “However, you aren’t proving that you good enough to go against anyone,” 

The new words struck Hinata, “ _What could she mean?”_ She was trying her best, was she not?

“Don’t get me wrong, you have improved a lot since the practice match, but you are still using your handicap, Kageyama.”

“Handicap? Is it wrong to rely on Kageyama?” Hinata furrowed her brow in disbelief, what was she hearing?

“You hitting his sets and just relying on him are different things. You are only hitting the ball because Kageyama has adjusted to you and your specific needs, if it was anyone else or if you were by yourself, you wouldn’t stand a chance.” The girl’s glare hardened, “The setter and the spiker must be aware and bring out the best in each other, The way you are doing it with Kageyama now is just as a crutch that you use to cover up your ineptitude in the other areas of the sport.” 

Hinata could only bite her lip in pain, as much as she hated the words being spoken to her, she couldn’t deny that there was far too much truth in them. She was only seen as a pair with Kageyama, on her own she wasn’t even an average player. 

The other girl finally walked past her, as she left she said, 

“Try practicing on your own or practice some normal quick attacks. You’re a female, use your body and skill to your maximum advantage. You should also work on other skills, spiking is minute if you can’t stop the ball from hitting the floor,”

Hinata listened to the resonating footsteps as the girl left. A critic from one player to another, that's what just transpired. “ _The girl must have been a player,”_ Hinata finally rejoined her team when it was announced that they were about ready to leave. 

Just as they were leaving, she stole a glance towards Aoba Johsai. The girl who she had spoken to was with the team, it looked like she was scolding the great king. 

After Kageyama shoved her into the bus, she continued and made her way to her seat next to Kiyoko. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So who was that girl that was with Aoba Johsai?” 

It has been a week since their defeat at Interhigh, Hinata was taking all the advice that other girl had given her but it still weighed on her mind on who the mystery girl was. She was asking Kageyama since it seemed like he knew most of the players on Seijoh. 

Kageyama glanced up at her and answered, “That was Iwaizumi, she was my former upperclassmen at Kitagawa. She was also Oikawa’s ace during their time together at middle school,” 

Hinata’s jaw dropped, “H-how was she the ace for the great king?”

Kageyama looked up with a fondness in his eyes, “Oikawa vouched for her ability and after seeing how well she played, especially with Oikawa, the coaches let her play. I don’t think anyone has a stronger connection than the two of them,”

Normally Hinata would comment on how weird Kageyama looked when his face looked like that (y’know, not scowling) but she was too elated to know that she got tips and feedback from the Great King’s previous Ace! Now the advice that Iwaizumi had given Hinata made sense, the girl knew what she was talking about because she has personal experience playing on a boy’s team with one of the best. 

It also made sense why she was so critical of the setter/hitter relationship that Hinata and Kageyama had, she was right it was too one-sided, with Kageyama being the only reason why she was excelling in volleyball right now. 

Hinata was now more determined to rise above Iwaizumi’s standards and her own, to get better, to prove that she could be better. She had to stand on her own two feet. 

Thankfully, a shining opportunity was about to appear and the reunion with her feline friend, and not to Hinata’s knowledge she was going to meet a wild owl and said owl’s trainer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this and be sure to stay for the next chapter, the next few chapters might be collections of smaller chapters containing certain changed events in the story. Stay healthy and stay reading 😘


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